Clutch pulley



W. C. LUTZ CLUTCH PULLEY Feb. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1947 1 3m I WaLuZZ Feb. 28, 1950 I w. c. LUTZ 2,499,224

CLUTCH PULLEY Filed April 1, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 28 1950 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE CLUTCH PULLEY Willard o. Lutz, Lancaster, Pa.

A plication April 1, 1947, Serial No. 738,535

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatie'eictenes.

An object of this invention is to provide an automatic clutch which is combined with a pulley and is adapted as an example for use in elevating material in the building or other work about a silo or other structure. g 7

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic clutch and pulley which will also function as a differential so that it can be used for small vehicles.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic clutch which is of simple constru'ctionand which is held in clutching position by a wedging action on the belt or other flexible element which engages in the groove formed between the movable clutch elements.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical section of a silo embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the automatic clutch,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a modified form of this invention. Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a silo which may be under construction and which has a center post extending therethrough and terminating above the top thereof. A platform I2 is disposed on a ledge 3 at the upper portion of the silo It so that a workman may readily stand on the platform during the work of assembling the silo.

The upper end of the post II has extending therefrom a swinging arm l4. The arm I4 is held against downward movementby means of a collar l5 secured to the post A motor I6 is mounted on the arm l4 and has a belt I! trained about the driving pulley I8 thereof. A combined clutch and pulley generally designated as I9 is supported below the swinging arm M by means of bearing hangers 2B. The combined pulley and clutch l9, shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4, includes a pair of aligned end abutting shafts 2| and 22 which are journaled in the lower ends of the bearing hangers 20.

The shaft 2| has a pulley 23 fixed thereto and about which the belt I! is trained for effecting powered rotation of the shaft 2|. A clutch plate '24, having a bushing 25 is fixed by means or a set screw 26 to the shaft 2| A second outer clutch plate 21, formed witha collar or bushing is fixed by means of "a set screw 29 to the shaft 22. An intermediate pair of clutch plates 30 and 3| 1 are disposed between the outer clutch plates '24 and 21 anda'reformed with confronting-tapering faces 32 and 33 respectively.

The outer side of the plate 30 has fixed thereto an annular fibrous clutch facing 34, and the outer face of the clutch plate 3| has fixed thereto an annular fibrous clutch facing 35. The clutch plate 30 is formed with a cylindrical hub orcentral portion 36 which has extending inwardly therefrom an annular *flange 31. The clutch plate 3| isformed with a centrally disposed cylindrical hub or "bushing 38 which extends through the flange a'l. A collar 39 is fixed by fastening devices 40 to the outer end of thebushing or hub 38 and forms, 'with'the flange 31, an annular sprin chamber 4|, within which an expansible'spring 42 is mounted. One end of the spring 42 bears against the inner side "of the collar 39 and the other end of the spring '42 bears against the annular flange 3! so that the two clutch plates 30 and 3| will be 'normally biased toward each other, and to declutching position, which is the position shown in Figure 3.

A rope or flexible member 43 is trained about the combined clutch and pulley, engaging in the space between the inclined faces 32 and 33. The rope 43 depends from the swinging arm I 4 and has fixed thereto a material grab hook 44. .The tension of the spring 42 is such that when the grab hook 44 is empty the two clutch plates 30 and 3| will be moved by the spring 42 to declutching position. When a weight is placed on the grab hook 44 the rope 43 will force the plates 30 and 3| apart so that the clutch facings 34 and 35 will frictionally engage the outer clutch plates 24 and 21. After the material has been elevated to the upper portion of the silo III, the material may be removed from the grab hook 44, thereby permitting the spring 42 to immediately draw the clutch plates 30 and 3| toward each other and to declutching position. This operation may take place with the motor l6 continuously operating. The grab hook 44 will then swing downwardly to its lowermost position where additional material may be secured thereto, and the weight of this material will immediately cause the clutch plates 30 and 3| to move outwardly to clutching position.

While the combined clutch and pulley is herein shown as being associated with elevating means for elevating material in the construction of a silo or the like, this combined clutch and pulley will also serve as a difierential in a drive shaft construction. In other words, the structure herein disclosed may be used on a vehicle such as a small vehicle where the shafts 2| and 22 form the axles for one pair of wheels. The pulley which is formed by the two clutch plates 30 and 3| may have the flexible member 43 trained thereabout and this flexible member may be in the form of an endless drive belt connected to a power member.

Where the vehicle is making a turn and one wheel will rotate faster than the other, the outer axle or shaft may rotate independently of the inner axle or shaft, the associated clutch memmom 4 What I claim is- 1. A combined pulley and automatic clutch comprising a pair of aligned shafts, a pair of outer clutch plates fixed one to each of said shafts, an inner pair of plates disposed between said outer plates and formed with inclined confronting faces, a fibrous facing onthe outer side of each of said inner plates, oppositely extending telescoping hub members carried by said inner plates, an inwardlyextending annular flange carried by the outer one of said hub members, a collar fixed to the inner one of said hub members, and a spring between said flange and said collar for normally urging said inner plates toward each other and to declutching position relative to said outer plates.

ber or 3| rotating independently of theother clutch plate.

In Figure 5 there is disclosed a slightly modified form of this invention, wherein a combined pulley and clutch [9a is disclosed which is similar in every detail to the combined pulley and clutch l9. An idler pulley 45 which is carried by shaft ,46 is disposed between a pair of supporting arms 41 and the rope or cable 43a is adapted to be extended from pulley I911 about idler pulley 45. In this manner the pulley I90. may be selectively relieved from a portion of the weight of the rope or cable 43a. This is particularly desirable where 'this device is used in the construction of a silo ,or other construction and the rope or cable 43a ;will be progressively increased in length. V In order to accomplish the adjustment of pulley 45 the supporting arms 41 are provided with a series of spaced holes 48 within which the shaft 46 is adapted to selectively engage. In practice this combined clutch and pulley is so constructed that in order to effect clutching of the device to the shaft, it is necessary that the rope or cable bepulled downwardly on one run thereof, and when this pull is relaxed the pulley will be moved to declutched position. v I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the .appended claims.

2. A combined pulley and clutch comprising a pair of outer clutch plates fixed on the ends of aupair of aligned shafts, a pair of inner clutch plates loose on said shafts between said outer plates and formed with confronting inclined faces, a cylindrical hub on one of said inner plates, a cylindrical hub on the other of said inner plates engageable about said first hub and spaced thereabout, and spring means between said hubs constantly urging said inner plates together out of engagement with said outer plates, whereby said inner plates may be engaged with said outer plates upon tensioning a belt engaging between the inclined faces of said inner plates moving said inner plates apart for engagement with said outer plates.

WILLARD C. LUTZ.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,186 Piers Aug. 25, 1891 691,908 Little Jan. 28, 1902 1,122,933 Hufford Dec. 29, 1914 2,254,592 Berkeley Sept. 2, 1941 2,321,494 Krag June 8, 1943 

